Topic: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice? (Read 15163 times)

Jimbo · « **on:** January 14, 2020, 11:41:56 PM »

As the title suggests, I'm debating making the switch this year due to a longstanding shoulder niggle which is exacerbated every season by about the 5th indoor net. Have found that turning my arm over doesn't have the same impact so keen to give it a go, even if only just at nets.

Has anyone else made the same switch, and if so any tips would be welcome?

AJ2014 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2020, 06:11:44 AM »

think you will need to practice a lot, it might look easy, at good level batter love going at off spinners, putting a lot of pressure, therefore staying calm is the key

tuffers007 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2020, 08:17:37 AM »

Do it, but you will have to practice hard. turning the ball is the easy bit. putting it where it needs to go is the hardest part. practice practice practice!!
and please dont give up if you find it difficult after the first net (see this all too often with the youngsters)
Dont worry about getting hit by the batsmen, thats part of your new job!
good luck with it

HellomynameisJ · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2020, 08:45:04 AM »

In my experience, almost anyone can be an offspin bowler, but it's very hard to be a good offspin bowler.

Here's what I think makes a good off spinner hard to face
1. accuracy
2. Subtle changes of pace
3. Changing position on the crease
4. Drift
5. Bowling to a plan

Also, don't be afraid to get hit for six

SLA · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2020, 08:54:02 AM »

Quote from: HellomynameisJ on January 15, 2020, 08:45:04 AM

In my experience, almost anyone can be an offspin bowler, but it's very hard to be a good offspin bowler.

Here's what I think makes a good off spinner hard to face
1. accuracy
2. Subtle changes of pace
3. Changing position on the crease
4. Drift
5. Bowling to a plan

Also, don't be afraid to get hit for six

I think this is kinda true. Its easy to be a bad spinner. Its hard to be a good spinner.

Offspin and legspin are equivalently hard, the difference is that a bad legspinner is bad in more obvious ways than a bad offspinner. Bad offspinners tend to just bowl the same vaguely unthreatening ball over and over. Bad legspinners are all over the place.

To be a good spinner you need:

a) to be able to get good revs on the ball
b) to be able to land it on a line and length 5 ball out of 6
c) to be able to bowl at a decent enough pace that batsmen can't wander down the wicket and hit everything on the full toss, or camp on the back foot and play you off the pitch
d) to have at least 1, preferably 2, decent variations - either change the direction of spin or mix in some topspin or backspin.
e) to develop a reasonable understanding of tactics - setting the field, reading the batsman, making the necessary adjustments

WalkingWicket37 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2020, 10:17:43 AM »

Quote from: SLA on January 15, 2020, 08:54:02 AM

I think this is kinda true. Its easy to be a bad spinner. Its hard to be a good spinner.

Offspin and legspin are equivalently hard, the difference is that a bad legspinner is bad in more obvious ways than a bad offspinner. Bad offspinners tend to just bowl the same vaguely unthreatening ball over and over. Bad legspinners are all over the place.

To be a good spinner you need:

a) to be able to get good revs on the ball
b) to be able to land it on a line and length 5 ball out of 6
c) to be able to bowl at a decent enough pace that batsmen can't wander down the wicket and hit everything on the full toss, or camp on the back foot and play you off the pitch
d) to have at least 1, preferably 2, decent variations - either change the direction of spin or mix in some topspin or backspin.
e) to develop a reasonable understanding of tactics - setting the field, reading the batsman, making the necessary adjustments

I'll be controversial (unlike me) and say I don't think all those things are necessarily needed to be a good spinner.

a) Getting good revs on the ball is a bonus rather than a necessity I'd say.
b) Consistency is the key. Landing the ball on a good line and length most deliveries is more important than "turn".
c) I kind of agree here, there's no magic pace you have to bowl at though. Everyone has to discover "their pace" by just bowling.
d) variations aren't necessarily key (you don't need to develop a flipper, slider, doosra or Jeff straight away). You can get some natural variation by changing how far back you bowl from (the 24 yard ball is your friend) or how close you get to the stumps. Subtle changes in pace work too. You can have one delivery that you bowl from different "angles" and be just as effective as the guy with 38 different deliveries!
e) This comes with experience and practice.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2020, 11:13:54 AM »

From experience this is very hard. I don�t bowl much these days mainly due to my keeping moving on at a rate of knots over the years as that�s what I really wanted to do. But I spent a lot of time as a 2nd 3rd change bowler because I bowled medium pace and very tidy line and length and had an economy of about 2 mainly bowling in middle overs. This took me years from a young boy to do.
Now tying to switch to a spinner or slow bowler as I don�t spin it much is a lot harder and I find that my economy is a lot higher so there for I�m not much use to the team in hat regard. It�s also better for the batters I bowl to for my to walk up and bowl with the same medium pace action but reduce the stress one body that throw down pies which they don�t get in a game situation.

So basically my view is if you want to change then fine but it will take a long time in my view to become half as good as you have been as a medium pace bowler and will you be the same asset to the team

SLA · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2020, 11:59:35 AM »

Quote from: WalkingWicket37 on January 15, 2020, 10:17:43 AM

I'll be controversial (unlike me) and say I don't think all those things are necessarily needed to be a good spinner.

a) Getting good revs on the ball is a bonus rather than a necessity I'd say.
b) Consistency is the key. Landing the ball on a good line and length most deliveries is more important than "turn".
c) I kind of agree here, there's no magic pace you have to bowl at though. Everyone has to discover "their pace" by just bowling.
d) variations aren't necessarily key (you don't need to develop a flipper, slider, doosra or Jeff straight away). You can get some natural variation by changing how far back you bowl from (the 24 yard ball is your friend) or how close you get to the stumps. Subtle changes in pace work too. You can have one delivery that you bowl from different "angles" and be just as effective as the guy with 38 different deliveries!
e) This comes with experience and practice.

If you don't get revs, you don't have drift, you don't have dip, you don't have turn. There's absolutely nothing to worry a batsman at all. Any halfway competent batsman is just going to take you to the cleaners from any length.

Kulli · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:00:22 PM »

I�d say it depends hugely on the level you play at, or want to play at.

jamesisapayne · « **Reply #9 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:03:45 PM »

Quote from: WalkingWicket37 on January 15, 2020, 10:17:43 AM

I'll be controversial (unlike me) and say I don't think all those things are necessarily needed to be a good spinner.

a) Getting good revs on the ball is a bonus rather than a necessity I'd say.
b) Consistency is the key. Landing the ball on a good line and length most deliveries is more important than "turn".

Not for me - accuracy without turn is much easier to play. A spinner who turn it a lot but bowls a lot of loose deliveries is always more likely to get a wicket from my experience keeping and batting - Getting the skipper to keep you on however is a different matter!

I think Shane Warne said spin it as hard as you can first, accuracy will come later as it's harder to progress the other way round. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.

Jimbo · « **Reply #10 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:09:11 PM »

Quote from: Kulli on January 15, 2020, 12:00:22 PM

I�d say it depends hugely on the level you play at, or want to play at.

Not a particularly high level and no real aspiration to play at a higher level as I know my limitations as a cricketer!

WalkingWicket37 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:17:48 PM »

Quote from: SLA on January 15, 2020, 11:59:35 AM

If you don't get revs, you don't have drift, you don't have dip, you don't have turn. There's absolutely nothing to worry a batsman at all. Any halfway competent batsman is just going to take you to the cleaners from any length.

My clubs all time leading wicket taker is a "leg spinner" who confesses himself he couldn't turn a doorknob, let alone a leg break!

He must've been lucky to come up against 670 totally incompetent batsman down the years...

edge · « **Reply #12 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:28:12 PM »

Something I've been half considering lately - I started out as a pace bowler who could hold a bat and have gradually swapped roles, which has sent my bowling downhill pretty sharply. Don't want to give up bowling, do I slow things down and trundle or try and bowl spin? Trouble being that my offpsin efforts, while fairly accurate, don't turn.

On the topic of turn, I'd say SLA has a point - if you're bowling against decent batsmen and can't beat them in the flight then it doesn't matter how accurate you are, if you don't turn it fairly sharply you'll get carted. If you're at a level where you're not worried about deceiving the batsmen and they'll frustrate themselves out, then accuracy will do. Wouldn't worry too much about variations either way though, leave that for later!

SLA · « **Reply #13 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:29:56 PM »

Quote from: WalkingWicket37 on January 15, 2020, 12:17:48 PM

My clubs all time leading wicket taker is a "leg spinner" who confesses himself he couldn't turn a doorknob, let alone a leg break!

He must've been lucky to come up against 670 totally incompetent batsman down the years...

In what sense is he a legspinner then?

WalkingWicket37 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 15, 2020, 12:36:11 PM »

Quote from: SLA on January 15, 2020, 12:29:56 PM

In what sense is he a legspinner then?

He has a short run up and tries to bowl leg breaks.
He's therefore not a seam bowler or an off spinner

Author Topic: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice? (Read 15163 times)

Jimbo

Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

AJ2014

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

tuffers007

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

HellomynameisJ

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

SLA

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

WalkingWicket37

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

SOULMAN1012

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

SLA

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

Kulli

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

jamesisapayne

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

Jimbo

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

WalkingWicket37

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

edge

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

SLA

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?

WalkingWicket37

Re: Switching from medium pace to offspin - any advice?